A Timaru lumberyard and its director have been fined a total of $450,000 after 23-year-old Ethyn McTier was crushed to death in a preventable workplace accident in 2022.
Point Lumber and its sole director, Sean David Sloper, were found to have failed in their duty of care, with no guarding on the conveyor belt where McTier was killed and a history of ignored safety warnings, including a 2017 consultant’s recommendation.
The sentencing also included $140,000 in emotional harm reparations to McTier’s family, who say the loss of the “gentle soul” has left a permanent void. They hope the case serves as a warning for other employers to take safety seriously.
Image credit: Annie Spratt
